College Of The Desert Enrollment Hits 11,000

More than 11,000 students converged on the College of the Desert campus for the start of the Fall Semester on August 30, according to numbers released this week.

As classes began, COD is up 1.7 percent in enrollments compared to the same time a year ago.

COD is offering more than 1,000 classes this fall, about the same number as fall 2009.

“Faculty and staff are stepping up by taking on additional students and workloads,” said Farley Herzek, Vice President of Academic Affairs.

In the 2009/10 academic year, the California Community Colleges sustained $520 million in budget cuts which equates to roughly 8 percent of the system’s overall budget. The cuts forced some campuses in California to reduce course offerings by as much as 20 percent at a time when more students than ever were seeking admission.

“At College of the Desert our Board of Trustees has been proactive and we have managed our fiscal resources well, making us better off than most community colleges in California,” stated College President Jerry Patton.

In addition to filling up classrooms, COD has set a record for online classes, with more than 2,600 enrollments.